The social and environmental importance of forest plantations with emphasis on Latin America

Whitmore J.L., . The social and environmental importance of forest plantations with emphasis on Latin America. pp. 255-269. ISSN 0128-1283

WHITMORE J.L. 1999. The social and environmental importance of forest plantations with emphasis on Latin America. As long as the demand for wood products is not reduced these will more and more have to be produced in forest plantations. In the next century without silvicultural plantations a great shortage of wood will likely result. Currently the world-wide harvest of wood is from three main sources: 1) primary forest 2) secondary forest and 3) plantations. Each of these sources produces about a third of the global harvest now but the plantations portion is increasing. In Latin America there has been a strong tendency to use exotic species in forest plantations largely with great success. Recently there has been progress in research to analyse the favourable and unfavourable conditions for succesful introduction of an exotic species. Our ability to predict beforehand the probability of problems has improved greatly with models which distinguish whether a species offers low medium or high risk of invading a site if we introduce it as an exotic. Without a doubt a massive programme of intensively cultivated plantations utilising unforested marginal lands can supply a major part of the wood society needs and other benefits as well including a diminished pressure on native forests. A combination of intensively cultivated plantations native forests under extensive management and protected areas set aside for biodiversity and similar non-wood benefits is the model most likely to suceed during the next century.

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Abstract

WHITMORE J.L. 1999. The social and environmental importance of forest plantations with emphasis on Latin America. As long as the demand for wood products is not reduced these will more and more have to be produced in forest plantations. In the next century without silvicultural plantations a great shortage of wood will likely result. Currently the world-wide harvest of wood is from three main sources: 1) primary forest 2) secondary forest and 3) plantations. Each of these sources produces about a third of the global harvest now but the plantations portion is increasing. In Latin America there has been a strong tendency to use exotic species in forest plantations largely with great success. Recently there has been progress in research to analyse the favourable and unfavourable conditions for succesful introduction of an exotic species. Our ability to predict beforehand the probability of problems has improved greatly with models which distinguish whether a species offers low medium or high risk of invading a site if we introduce it as an exotic. Without a doubt a massive programme of intensively cultivated plantations utilising unforested marginal lands can supply a major part of the wood society needs and other benefits as well including a diminished pressure on native forests. A combination of intensively cultivated plantations native forests under extensive management and protected areas set aside for biodiversity and similar non-wood benefits is the model most likely to suceed during the next century.

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Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Summaries (En Ms)
AGROVOC Term:	FORESTS
AGROVOC Term:	VIRGIN FORESTS
AGROVOC Term:	SECONDARY FORESTS
AGROVOC Term:	FOREST PLANTATIONS
AGROVOC Term:	ENVIRONMENT
AGROVOC Term:	INTENSIVE SILVICULTURE
AGROVOC Term:	INTRODUCED VARIETIES
AGROVOC Term:	SPECIES
AGROVOC Term:	WOOD
AGROVOC Term:	LATIN AMERICA BOSQUES
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:52
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/17853

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